It's great that you are figuring things out ! Maybe the contrast between your style and your themes is what will make you stand out ! I love your illustration "the taste of love" ! <3
Not to be a buzzkill but... either accept that you take a risk and may not make any money (i.e. starving artist) if you proceed with doing what you love, or make the changes necessary to make money. This is a familiar conundrum for creative people. You could hit the jackpot. Who knows? But the world is what the world is. Maybe the answer is to do a little bit of both?
I'd say keep doing what brings you joy, and keep putting it "out there". Eventually your audience will find you. It may take some time, but you will find them. Your images have a bit of a "New Yorker" cartoonist feel to them, which is definitely not for kids. It might be clearer if they had captions related to the subject.
For most of my ‘art’ career, I never wanted to be labelled. Now I desperately want people to know me as a picturebook illustrator, I do other kinds of art sure, but I find the easier it is for people to put you in a box, the easier it is for them to pick you when they need that kind of work.
It's great that you are figuring things out ! Maybe the contrast between your style and your themes is what will make you stand out ! I love your illustration "the taste of love" ! <3
Not to be a buzzkill but... either accept that you take a risk and may not make any money (i.e. starving artist) if you proceed with doing what you love, or make the changes necessary to make money. This is a familiar conundrum for creative people. You could hit the jackpot. Who knows? But the world is what the world is. Maybe the answer is to do a little bit of both?
I'd say keep doing what brings you joy, and keep putting it "out there". Eventually your audience will find you. It may take some time, but you will find them. Your images have a bit of a "New Yorker" cartoonist feel to them, which is definitely not for kids. It might be clearer if they had captions related to the subject.
For most of my ‘art’ career, I never wanted to be labelled. Now I desperately want people to know me as a picturebook illustrator, I do other kinds of art sure, but I find the easier it is for people to put you in a box, the easier it is for them to pick you when they need that kind of work.
You need to decide if money is the goal or if being a starving artist is okay... your path will follow.